This is the guide to the best and most interesting festivals in the world, organized by date. From hot air balloons to water fights, this list has it all.
January
1- Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, China: January 5- February 5
People build incredible things out of ice and snow, decorating them with lights and lasers.
2- Chinese New Year: Between January 21 & February 20
The biggest Chinese holiday, with dragons, fireworks, symbolic clothing, flowers, lanterns, and celebration, everywhere in China, and even in other Asian countries.
3- Sundance Film Festival, Utah, USA: end of January
The largest independent film festival in the US. Watch both feature length films and shorts. You need to buy a ticket.
4- Magh Mela Festival India: January
Hundreds of thousands of devout Hindus bathe in the rivers.
5- Up Helly Aa Fire Festival, Scotland: January
Torches, tar barreling, parties, flamboyant costumes, and the burning of a replica Viking ship make this an exciting festival.
February
6- Holi Festival, India: Late February/March, on the last full moon day.
Hindus and Sikh, in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka celebrate the main day of this incredibly fun 16-day religious festival by throwing colored powder and water at each other.
7- The Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: February or March
A week of extravagant parades, dancing, colors, and alcohol makes this one of the most exciting and well-known festivals in the world.
8- Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA: late February or Early March
Beads and booze. A crazy celebration before lent, aka the last day before giving up sinful pleasure.
9- Pingxi Lantern Festival, Taiwan: February
People write their wishes on fire lanterns and release them into the sky en masse, creating a beautiful spectacle of floating lights.
10- Carnival of Venice, Italy: between February & March
One of the most beautiful festivals in the world, people wear masks and elaborate costumes to hide differences among classes, and there are contests for the best costumes.
11- The Battle of the Oranges, Ivrea, Italy: February
An enormous food fight where people form organized teams and throws oranges at each other.
12- Desert Festival of Jaisalmer, India: February
Witness cultural events like camel races, and a moonlit concert. Want to get there? Take an SUV or camel safari.
March
13- Ultra Music Festival, Miami, Florida: Late March
A very intense electronic music festival for the partiers out there. Make sure to dress outrageously.
14- Calle Ocho, Miami, Florida, USA: March
An exciting Cuban street festival in Little Havana, with food and live music.
15- Las Fallas, Valencia: March 15-19
Fire, fireworks, smoke, and excitement make this festival a cross between Disney World and the apocalypse.
16- Saint Patrick’s Day Festival, Dublin, Ireland: March 17
There is a parade, costumes, music, comedy, film, and drinking.
17- Frozen Dead Guy Days, Nederland, Colorado: March
Dress up like a frozen dead guy and participate in events like a coffin race, a polar plunge, a parade, and partying.
April
18- Songkran Water Festival, Thailand: April 13-15
The Thai New Year festival falls on some of the hottest days in Thailand, and people celebrate by throwing water on each other, using water guns, buckets, hoses- whatever they can get their hands on.
19- Koninginnendag (Queen’s Day), Netherlands: April 29 or 30
This is a national holiday and a “free market” day, so everyone sells everything on the streets. There are games, concerts, performances, and parties on boats in the canals.
20- Sandfest, Port Aransas, Texas: April
An amazing sand sculpture contest with live entertainment.
June
21- Glastonbury Music Festival, England: last weekend of June
The largest open air music and preforming arts festival in the world.
22- Festival of the Sun, Peru: June 24
Expositions, street fairs, and live music mark the celebration of the sun god.
23- White Nights Festival/Scarlet Sails, St.Petersburg, Russia: end of June
Scarlet Sails is just one part of the white nights festival, including spectacular fireworks, concerts, and a mock battle among pirates in boats on the Neva River.
24- Food and Wine Classic, Aspen, Colorado: June
Participate in food and wine tasting, and watch cooking demonstrations, speakers, and a cooking competition. You need to buy a ticket.
July
25- San Fermin Festiva, Pamplona, Spain: July
There are many events including folkloric ones, but the most famous is the running of the bull.
26- Panafest, Ghana, Africa: July-August
An African cultural celebration with theatre, drama, music, conferences, fashion, and art.
27- Pflasterspektakel, Austria: July
A huge street art festival with all kinds of crazy performances.
28- Spice Mas Carnival, Grenada: July-August
An independence day celebration with Calypso music, a steel band competition, elaborate dress, and plenty of big events.
29- Music City, Nashville, Tenessee, USA: July 4
One of the biggest 4th of July festivals, with fireworks and country music.
August
30- La Tomatina, Buñol, Spain: last Wednesday in August
The whole point of this festival is to throw tomatoes at people. Yeah. It’s awesome.
31- Lollapalooza, Chicago, USA: August
A metal, rock, punk, and hiphop festival with some craft and comedy mixed in.
32- Obon Fesitval, Japan: August
Families release floating lanterns into the water to represent their ancestors’ spirits being sent off.
33- Gay Pride Parade, Amsterdam, Netherlands: first weekend of August
A huge gay pride festival, include a canal parade down the river on boats.
September
34- Burning Man, Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA: Last Monday of August- first Monday of September
A major, amazing festival where a self-reliant community of radical art, self expression, and awesomeness is created and removed without a trace one week each year.
35- Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany: Late September-first weekend in October
One word: beer. This festival is now held all around the world. It is an important part of Bavarian culture.
36- Grape Throwing Festival, Mallorca, Spain: last weekend in September
Throw huge amount of grapes at people and participate in other fun events.
October
37- Fantasy Fest, Key West, Florida: last week of October
A colorful parade and parties in the notoriously liberal town of Key West.
38- Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, New Mexico: early October
Over 750 hot air balloons take to the skies, some are illuminated at night, and some are uniquely shaped.
39- Diwali Festival of Lights: October/November
A family-oriented festival with firecrackers, sweets, and the lighting of small clay lamps and candles.
40- Halloween Festival of the Dead, Salem, Massachusetts, USA: end of October
Costume balls, vampire masquerades, psychic fairs and ghost hunting make Salem one of the top Halloween destinations.
41- Keene Pumpkin Festival, New Hampshire, USA: October
Massive towers of Jack-o-Lanterns, fireworks, and music draw a huge crowd.
November
42- Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Mexico: November 2
Friends and family gather to celebrate loved ones who have passed on, through elaborate traditions of food, art, colors, and culture.
43- Pushkar Camel Festival, India: November
An enormous camel fair with music, events, exhibitions, and cultural market stalls.
44- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York, USA: 4th Thursday of November
Giant balloons shaped like characters, as well as floats, bands, and entertainment, are paraded around New York city.
45- Monkey Buffet Festival, Lopburi, Thailand: end of November
The point of this festival is to give fruits and vegetables to monkeys and attract tourism. It works.
December
46- Junkanoo, Nassau, Bahamas: December 26 & January 1
A street festival with art, music, culture, elaborate costumes, and a parade, to bring in the new year.
47- Natchitoches Christmas Festival, Louisiana: December
Parades, boats, lights, and Christmas celebrations.
Varied Dates
48- Full Moon Party, Haad Rin, Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand: the night before or after every full moon
Like something straight from a movie, 20-30,000 people gather each full moon to spend the night partying on a beach and doing wild events like fire rope skipping.
49- Olympic Games: summer or winter every other year
Thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of sports. The opening ceremony is always a spectacle. If you don’t know what the Olympics are… well, lets not go there.
50- Love Parade, Germany (canceled)
One of the world’s biggest festivals, celebrated from 1989-2003 & 2006-2010, it included electronic music, costumes, and “let-lose” behavior. Unfortunately due to the tragic deaths of 21 participants in 2010 due to overcrowding, the Love Parade has been permanently canceled.
By Jacqueline Boss
www.escapenormal.com/2011/03/29/50-greatest-festivals-in-the-world/
